Division of imperial court during Nanboku-cho period

In 1336, Japan entered a period of political division known as the Nanboku-chō period (1336–1392), following conflicts between rival imperial factions. This division emerged after Ashikaga Takauji seized Kyoto and installed a competing emperor, creating two parallel courts: the Northern Court in Kyoto, supported by the Ashikaga shogunate, and the Southern Court in Yoshino, led by Emperor Go-Daigo, who continued to assert his legitimacy. The split followed the collapse of the brief Kenmu Restoration (1333–1336), during which Emperor Go-Daigo had attempted to reestablish direct imperial rule after the fall of the Kamakura shogunate. Disagreements between the emperor and military leaders, particularly Ashikaga Takauji, led to renewed conflict. By 1336, Takauji’s forces had secured control over Kyoto, formalizing the division between the two courts and initiating decades of intermittent warfare and political rivalry. The Nanboku-chō period lasted until 1392, when the two courts were formally reunited under the Northern Court line. During this time, the Ashikaga shogunate consolidated its authority as the central military government, while regional military leaders expanded their influence. The existence of rival courts created overlapping claims to legitimacy, complicating governance and succession.